Here are a couple of excerpts from today's Marietta Daily Journal articles on local political races.
Candidate Q & A: House District 39 (Alisha Morgan/Betty Gray)
Q. Do you favor a state law that would outlaw furlough days for teachers in the future?
Morgan: Georgia's corps of dedicated public school teachers stand everyday on the front lines of our battle for the future of Georgia's children, and should be commended for their commitment. Adequately funding our education system is critical to ensuring that our kids enter the adult world college and career-ready, and our budget should reflect that creed. However, while I do not support the furloughing of any governmental employee, I do recognize in these difficult economic times that municipalities, counties, and our state governments need the flexibility to make these fiscal calculations for situations as they arise. I believe it's premature to codify a long-term "solution" for a short-term problem, and that we should focus our energies instead on how best to support our most constrained systems in their time of financial crisis.
Gray: Yes.
Q. What do you think will be the biggest issue facing the General Assembly in 2011?
Morgan: I think that optimizing our shallow state budget to continue meeting the needs of Georgians, and finding solutions to fill the hole left by a persistent drop in state revenue, projected to be even worse next year, will be the paramount objective of next year's legislature.
Gray: EDUCATION.
Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Candidate Q A House District 39
Candidate Q & A: Senate District 32 (Judson Hill/Lynda Coker)
Q. Do you favor a state law that would outlaw furlough days for teachers in the future?
Hill: I have been endorsed for re-election by the Cobb teachers and educators for my support of and stand for education. Education is one of mine and our state's highest priorities; and we must continue to fully fund it. Education for K-12 is predominately funded by local communities. States and many local communities have strayed from their priorities and spent money on non-essential education programs. Rather than first raise taxes or lock in mandatory programs or benefits, the State and local leaders must first assess determine what services are essential functions and then prioritize spending for teachers and classroom based on these programs rather than spend more money on a bloated bureaucracy or on astro-turf for over a dozen high school sports fields. Local school systems should retain the flexibility to prioritize classroom-based services. Local school system must have options to balance their local budgets without state government interference.
Coker: I am not in favor of furloughing teachers. Continuity and consistency in the instructional delivery of curriculum and educational objectives is critical to the success of K-12 education in our state. In my opinion, disrupting the educational process of our children is detrimental to their academic growth and development and should not occur.
Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Candidate Q A Senate District
Candidate Q & A: House District 32 (Judy Manning/Buddy Simpson)
Q. Do you favor a state law that would outlaw furlough days for teachers in the future?
Manning: As Chair of the Children and Youth Committee, I do not advocate that any of our children miss school because of budget shortfalls. It is essential that we put education first if we want a bright future for our state and country. Furloughing teachers is a symptom of a greater problem. We need to tackle the problem, not treat the symptoms.
Simpson: No, furloughs save the state money.
Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Candidate Q A House District 32
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